!

(WARNING)
a capstone by shane kopischke
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TRANSITION.WAV
LIGHTS UP on a dark bedroom set.
SHANE lays curled up in the covers.

INNER VOICE 1
Time to wake up, buddy.

SHANE
(mumbling) what team...wildcats…

INNER VOICE 2
Ok, no more staying up late watching Disney Channel. Get your ass up!

SHANE’s phone alarm blares.

SHANE
Nooo…

SHANE rolls out of bed,

fully clothed.

INNER VOICE 3
Now, we don’t have time for you to lie around for two hours before
you leave today. You have to run through your Shakespeare monologue
for your capstone. You’ve procrastinated TOO LONG.

SHANE
Yeah, yeah, fine.

SHANE starts the

monologue lazily.

INNER VOICE 4
And you have to try!
SHANE
OKAY! Fine, fine.

I pray thee, cease thy counsel,

Which falls into mine ears as profitless
As water in a sieve: give not me counsel;
Nor let no comforter delight mine ear
But such a one whose wrongs do suit with mine.
Bring me a father that so loved his child,
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Whose joy of her is overwhelm'd like mine,

And bid him speak of patience;
Measure his woe the length and breadth of mine
And let it answer every strain for strain,
As thus for thus and such a grief for such,
In every lineament, branch, shape, and form:
If such a one will smile and stroke his beard,
Bid sorrow wag, cry 'hem!' when he should groan,
Patch grief with proverbs, make misfortune drunk
With candle-wasters; bring him yet to me,
And I of him will gather patience.
But there is no such man: for, brother, men
Can counsel and speak comfort to that grief
Which they themselves not feel; but, tasting it,
Their counsel turns to passion, which before
Would give preceptial medicine to rage,
Fetter strong madness in a silken thread,
Charm ache with air and agony with words:
No, no; 'tis all men's office to speak patience
To those that wring under the load of sorrow,
But no man's virtue nor sufficiency
To be so moral when he shall endure
The like himself. Therefore give me no counsel:
My griefs cry louder than advertisement.

Did I try hard enough for you?

INNER VOICE 5
Yeah sure, it was magical. Get to class.

TRANSITION.WAV
The “interlude” between scenes
is static, mixed with quotes
and pieces of music. It is chaos.

SHANE
Well, that sucked. Capstones are hard. Why do I have to play to my
strengths? It’s so much easier to just make fun of myself.

INNER VOICE 6
Ah ah ah! Cut that out. Change your viewpoint.
3

SHANE
You know what, you’re right! I need to look at the world from a view
of love instead of hate. Positivity instead of negativity.

INNER VOICE 7
Excuse me?

SHANE(sung)
MAYBE THE SUN GAVE ME THE POW'R,
FOR I COULD SWIM LOCH LOMOND AND BE HOME IN HALF AN HOUR.
MAYBE THE AIR GAVE ME THE DRIVE,
FOR I'M ALL AGLOW AND ALIVE.
WHAT A DAY THIS HAS BEEN! WHAT A RARE MOOD I'M IN!
WHY, IT'S ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE!
THERE'S A SMILE ON MY FACE FOR THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE!
WHY, IT'S ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE!
ALL THE MUSIC OF LIFE SEEMS TO BE LIKE A BELL THAT IS RINGING FOR ME!
AND FROM THE WAY THAT I FEEL WHEN THAT BELL STARTS TO PEAL,
I COULD SWEAR I WAS FALLING, I WOULD SWEAR I WAS FALLING,
IT'S ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE.
WHEN WE WALKED UP THE BRAE,
NOT A WORD DID WE SAY,
IT WAS...ALMOST LIKE BEIN' IN LOVE.
BUT YOUR ARM LINK'D IN MINE MADE THE WORLD KIND O' FINE.
IT WAS...ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE!
ALL THE MUSIC OF LIFE SEEMS TO BE
LIKE A BELL THAT IS RINGING FOR ME!
AND FROM THE WAY THAT I FEEL WHEN THAT BELL STARTS TO PEAL,
I COULD SWEAR I WAS FALLIN',
I WOULD SWEAR I WAS FALLING,
IT'S ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE!

SHANE
Now, do you see how ridiculous that is? No one is that optimistic.

INNER VOICE 8
Okay, well number 1. You’re an asshole. But number 2. Just because
you’ve been burned before doesn’t mean you can’t look forward to the
future!

SHANE
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I haven’t been burned, I’ve burned myself. Everything that’s gone

wrong in the past is on me.

INNER VOICE 9
That is an insanely selfish thought!

SHANE
I don’t care! I’m going to bed.

INNER VOICE 10
It’s 8:30!

BLACKOUT

LIGHT UP suddenly as
SHANE gets out of bed.

INNER VOICE 11
Dream?

SHANE
Nightmare.

INNER VOICE 12
What was it?

SHANE
It was so vivid. It was like a whole separate life I lived. Well, I
was finally in show business. It was the asshole of show business -
but it was a job... Nothing to brag about. I had friends. But after a
while it was so demeaning. Nobody there had any dignity and most of
them were ashamed of themselves and considered themselves freaks. I
don't know, I think it was the lack of dignity that got to me, so I
left. Oh, I muddled around for a while. I worked as an office boy, a
waiter - But without an education, you can't get a good job. So, when
they called and asked if I'd come back, I went.

We were working the Apollo Theatre on a Hundred and Twenty-Fifth

Street. Doing four shows a day with a movie. It was really tacky. The
show was going to go to Chicago. My parents wanted to say goodbye and
they were going to bring my luggage to the theatre after the show.
Well, we were doing this oriental number and I looked like Anna May
5

Wong. I had these two great big chrysanthemums on either side my head
and a huge headdress with gold balls hanging all over it. I was going
on for the finale and going down the stairs and who should I see
standing by the stage door ... my parents. They got there too early.
I freaked. I didn't know what to do. I thought to myself : "I know,
I'll just walk quickly past them like all the others and they'll
never recognize me." So I took a deep breath and started down the
stairs and just as I passed my mother I heard her say : "Oh, my God."
Well... I died. But what could I do? I had to go on for the finale so
I just kept going. After the show I went back to my dressing room and
after I'd finished dressing and taking my makeup off, I went back
down stairs. And there they were standing in the middle of all these
... And all they said to me was please write, make sure you eat and
take care of yourself. And just before my parents left, my father
turned to the producer and said : "Take care of my son..."; That was
the first time he ever called me that... I... ah... I... ah....

INNER VOICE 13
You are much better than that bullshit nightmare. You are LOVED. Go
back to bed.

LIGHTS UP on SHANE rising out

of bed slowly, looking
around the dark room. He
begins to hear music.
SHANE
What is going on? Why are all these people here?

INNER VOICE 14
Just perform!

SHANE (sung)
WHEN SOME SERIOUS AFFLICTION IS HERE, THERE ARENT LYRICS FOR IT
ONLINE WOOPS

BOOS.WAV
A blast of static plays,
along with an array of boos
jolting SHANE.
SHANE
Damn it! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!
6

INNER VOICE 15
It’s just a day. Tomorrow can be better.

SHANE
You say that every day.

INNER VOICE 16
Well, yes. But sometimes I’m right.

SHANE
And most of the time, you’re not.

INNER VOICE 17
But that right there, that’s the issue. You’re so focused on “fixing
everything” that you are too scared to live your damn life! Snap out
of it. You’re broken, but so is everyone else. You’re special in a
lot of ways, but that isn’t one of them.

SHANE
I just can’t keep giving myself away. I don’t even know who I am
anymore.

IT STARTED OUT LIKE A SONG

WE STARTED QUIET AND SLOW
WITH NO SURPRISE
AND THEN ONE MORNING I WOKE
TO REALIZE
WE HAD A GOOD THING GOING

IT'S NOT THAT NOTHING WENT WRONG:

SOME ANGRY MOMENTS, OF COURSE
BUT JUST A FEW
AND ONLY MOMENTS, NO MORE
BECAUSE WE KNEW
WE HAD THIS GOOD THING GOING

AND IF I WANTED TOO MUCH

WAS THAT SUCH
A MISTAKE
AT THE TIME?
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YOU NEVER WANTED ENOUGH —

ALL RIGHT, TOUGH
I DON'T MAKE
THAT A CRIME

AND WHILE IT'S GOING ALONG

YOU TAKE FOR GRANTED SOME LOVE
WILL WEAR AWAY
WE TOOK FOR GRANTED A LOT
BUT STILL I SAY:
IT COULD HAVE KEPT ON GROWING
INSTEAD OF JUST KEPT ON
WE HAD A GOOD THING GOING
GOING, GONE

INNER VOICE 18
Your ghosts don’t define you. You can’t do anything to change the
past, but you sure as hell can change your future. You can do better.
I promise.

“Aftermath” by Nigel Godrich

begins playing. SHANE does a
modern piece. When he finishes,
X and GIRL walk in,
sitting on either side of him.

X (sung)
I CALLED ELISE TO HELP ME PACK MY BAGS
I WENT DOWNTOWN AND CLOSED THE BANK ACCOUNT

SHANE (sung)
IT'S NOT ABOUT ANOTHER SHRINK
IT'S NOT ABOUT ANOTHER COMPROMISE

GIRL (sung)
I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO'S HURTING HERE

SHANE (sung)
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS LEFT TO DO
YOU NEVER SAW HOW FAR THE CRACK HAD OPENED
YOU NEVER KNEW I HAD RUN OUT OF ROPE
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X (sung)
I COULD NEVER RESCUE YOU
ALL YOU EVER WANTED
GIRL (sung)
BUT I COULD NEVER RESCUE YOU
NO MATTER HOW I TRIED

SHANE (sung)
ALL I COULD DO WAS LOVE YOU HARD
AND LET YOU GO

X (sung)
NO MATTER HOW I TRIED
ALL I COULD DO WAS LOVE YOU

SHANE (sung)
GOD, I LOVED YOU SO
SO WE COULD FIGHT

GIRL (sung)
OR WE COULD WAIT

X (sung)
OR I COULD GO…

SHANE (sung)
GOODBYE UNTIL TOMORROW!
GOODBYE UNTIL I CRAWL TO YOUR DOOR
AND I WILL BE WAITING
I WILL BE WAITING

X (sung)
YOU NEVER NOTICED HOW THE WINDS
HAD CHANGED

GIRL (sung)
GOODBYE UNTIL TOMORROW!

SHANE (sung)
I DIDN’T SEE A WAY WE
BOTH COULD WIN
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GIRL (sung)
GOODBYE UNTIL I'M DONE THANKING GOD
FOR I HAVE BEEN WAITING
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU
X (sung)
GOODBYE, BABY

SHANE (sung)
I HAVE BEEN WAITING
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU

2 GIRLS (sung)
GOODBYE

SHANE (sung)
I WILL KEEP WAITING -
I WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU
JUST CLOSE THE GATE
I'LL STAND AND WAIT
BABY

SHANE looks up and

notices he is sitting alone.
He puts his head in
his hands for almost too long.
Everything is quiet, for once.
He stands up and grabs his guitar.

He sits on his bed and

begins to play the intro for
“Wake Me Up When September Ends”
but he stops and puts his guitar down.

Silence.

INNER VOICE 19
You’re not alone. You know that.

Silence.
10

This Year by The Mountain Goats

begins on piano. SHANE picks
up his guitar and starts
playing along.

SHANE (sung)
I BROKE FREE ON A SATURDAY MORNING
I PUT THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR
HEADED NORTH ON MILLS AVENUE
AND LISTENED TO THE ENGINE ROAR

MY BROKEN HOUSE BEHIND ME

AND GOOD THINGS AHEAD
A GIRL NAMED CATHY
WANTS A LITTLE OF MY TIME
SIX CYLINDERS UNDERNEATH THE HOOD
CRASHING AND KICKING
AHA!
LISTEN TO THE ENGINE WHINE

I AM GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS YEAR

IF IT KILLS ME
I AM GOING TO MAKE IT THOUGH THIS YEAR
IF IT KILLS ME

I PLAYED VIDEO GAMES IN A DRUNKEN HAZE

I WAS SEVENTEEN YEARS YOUNG
HURT MY KNUCKLES PUNCHING THE MACHINES
THE TASTE OF SCOTCH RICH ON MY TONGUE

AND THEN CATHY SHOWED UP

AND WE HUNG OUT
TRADING SWIGS FROM A BOTTLE
ALL BITTER AND CLEAN
LOCKING EYES
HOLDING HANDS
TWIN HIGH MAINTENANCE MACHINES

I AM GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS YEAR

IF IT KILLS ME
I AM GOING TO MAKE IT THOUGH THIS YEAR
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IF IT KILLS ME

I DROVE HOME IN THE CALIFORNIA DUSK

I COULD FEEL THE ALCOHOL INSIDE OF ME HUM
PICTURED THE LOOK ON MY STEPFATHER'S FACE
READY FOR THE BAD THINGS TO COME
I DOWN SHIFTED
AS I PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY
THE MOTOR SCREAMING OUT
STUCK IN SECOND GEAR
THE SCENE ENDS BADLY
AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE
IN A CAVALCADE OF ANGER AND FEAR

THERE WILL BE FEASTING AND DANCING

IN JERUSALEM NEXT YEAR

I AM GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS YEAR

IF IT KILLS ME
I AM GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS YEAR
IF IT KILLS ME

BLACKOUT.